Individually, the Calgary Transit 2011 Monthly Passes look pretty slick. The simple, typographic design utilizes vibrant colours and clear information to become a true specimen of “form meets function.” The street map in the background adds a little depth and complexity for some extra oomph, but all in all, they aren’t too conceptual … until you piece together the entire 12 month set. Then things really come to life.
To depict one of Canada’s largest transit systems (with 4,500+ route kilometres), I used only one graphic element — the 2010-11 System Map. This map was split into 12 segments with each section overlapping a portion of the next, highlighting the routes with the highest ridership density.
Every inch of the transit system was used, ensuring that every rider would eventually get to see their route at some point in the year.
Perhaps a little abstract, but still, this my ode to Massimo Vignelli’s iconic New York City Subway Diagrams.
It’s becoming all too common to get items printed for as cheap as possible … or not at all. One feature after another seems to get cut out until a high end piece becomes an instant throw-away. This trend is a bit disappointing, but when an opportunity to do something on the contrary arises, it feels great … and in this case literally.
The Mawer Investment Management Corporate Brochure certainly breaks this trend; it’s a high end piece that you don’t want to put down, let alone throw away. It utilizes a double hit of Soft Touch™ aqueous coating, which imparts a velvet-like, “creamy” feel and adds a rich matte appearance. It feels like a million bucks (which is good considering Mawer manages over $7 billion worth of assets).
It’s a conversation piece of value; which is a conversation Mawer manages quite well.
I found myself cheerfully boasting “I’ve never left Calgary in the dead of winter” a few times before I left for Costa Rica a few weeks ago. But, since I’ve come home, all I have ringing in my ears is “I’ve never returned to Calgary in the dead of winter.” Ugh. It’s painful. The discrepancy in temperature is one thing (±60ºC), but what really hurts is the disparity in life. Calgary is desolate, Costa Rica is just teeming. Check out some of the select photos and I’m sure you’ll agree.
I’ve also posted a whole lot more on my Flickr page.
With the prevalence of all those public service announcements for proper hand washing, coughing, sneezing, etc., The City of Calgary thought a simple reminder about the return of Flu Season would suffice, but when I heard them say the word “gross” when discussing potential directions, I knew we could have a little fun.
It’s the uncomfortable subtleties of elevators that are known for making people squirm, but I thought we could put one aspect front and centre to reinforce our message — elevators can be kinda gross. This way, no matter where you’re headed, having a sneeze, cough, dirty hands or bacteria staring you in the face will help keep things top of mind … and maybe you’ll want to hit that sanitizer station one more time on the way out.
Knowing that the execution would only be as effective as the ‘textures’, I knew authenticity was essential … so a few gulps of non-toxic paint, a palm-sized ink pad with a creative concoction and even an (unsuccessful) attempt at bacteria growth in a petri dish seemed to do the trick … made for a couple fun ‘craft days’ at the studio too.
Head down to the Municipal Building downtown to check’em out. Probably best before lunch though.
It may seem irrelevant (and a bit narcissistic) to list my most-listened-to albums from the past five years, but when you work solo and listen to an average of 8 hours of music a day, some albums become more than just filler … they become a support system.
1. Neutral Milk Hotel — In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
Ol’ reliable. This lo-fi indie-rock album is as powerful as it is catchy … and perhaps the best sing-along album of all time. When this one comes on it’s a damn good thing I work alone.
2. Sleigh Bells – Treats (2010)
Even though this one is still less than a year old, it has already climbed it’s way up the list. The Brooklyn-based duo has redefined musical fusion with their debut release. With hints of electro, metal, hip-hop, thrash and even radio-pop, this one always seems to satisfy. You’re sure to hear this one (from across the street) on deadline day.
3. Death From Above 1979 – You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine (2004)
When I first started working solo I took on a lot of long hours and late nights … and I don’t think I could have got through it without this (now defunct) dance-punk group’s coup de grâce. Works just like caffeine without the jitters.
4. LCD Soundsystem — Sound of Silver (2007)
I’ve listened to a lot of electronic music in my day, but this album seems to be one of the few with any significant lasting power. The simplicity of this progressive, post-punk album is what does it for me. I’ve listened to this 9-song album on repeat for a full work day more than a few times.
5. The Black Angels — Passover (2006)
When I first came across this psych-rock album I must have listened to it a dozen times in the first week. It buzzes and hisses in a receptive drone of distortion telling the story of “wartime terror” so convincingly it’s like watching a movie. I still throw it on for concept development inspiration; chances are it’s been done before, so just do it again with a perfect execution.
Honourable Mention: Beck — Mellow Gold (1994)
Yea, I’m a Loser baby; part of that special breed that’ll never be able to let go. I don’t like to take things too seriously and love my nostalgia, so I’m sure I’ll keep coming back on this one as long as I hunch over a computer.
High fives all around! October 4, 2010 marks the 5th anniversary of the inception of I.R. DESIGN! Woo!
The last five years have been a phenomenal, life-changing experience thanks to my loyal clients, colleagues and partners — they’ve helped me flourish as a graphic designer, a business professional and an individual. A lot has happened — from months of 16-hour days working away in my basement studio, to a brief stint teaching typesetting at SAIT … even a most-expenses-paid trip to Altona, Manitoba in the middle of winter! I can only imagine what the next five years will bring.
Check back over the next few months as I unveil a series of Top Five picks, lists and recaps from the past 5 years.
The view I have this month couldn’t be any further from the one in the basement dungeon I call a home office … it’s a bit distracting to say the least.
For the entire month of September I have been working onsite at the Municipal Building downtown with the Creative Services department of The City of Calgary. And, although the weather has been less than pleasant so far, today alone has been well worth the wait.
Stay tuned. I’m in the midst of a handful of very interesting projects that are worth sharing as they wrap up.
Yesterday’s Calgary Stampeders vs Edmonton Eskimos game marked the 50th Anniversary of the opening of McMahon Stadium … to the day! And what a way to celebrate the golden anniversary; a convincing 56-15 win! Woo! Go Stamps Go!
It was great to see the logo I did up all over the joint. For something so technical and so traditional, I was quite happy with the look.
Over the past few months I have noticed an abundance of hand painted, manually set, naturally weathered and just plain interesting typography in my community — Tuxedo Park. So, I decided I’d take advantage of all the nice weather and take my camera on a little jaunt through the community to see what I could find … I was pleasantly surprised. Enjoy.
With the height of the great recession behind us,
The City of Calgary was
‘Moving Forward’ in 2009 and I was assigned with the task of developing creative to represent this theme … and to accentuate the online presence of their
2009 Corporate Annual Report. The solution was to develop a bold, optimistic composition reminiscent of a digital tag cloud.
The document is literally stacked with keywords, images and graphics from the year’s big projects, events and achievements. The major accomplishments are unveiled using expanding four-page spreads — a tangible pop-up window. Full details that are only hinted to in the printed version are available in the
interactive website.
The creative for the 2008 Corporate Annual Report was much more subdued to suit the times. Calgary was somewhat sheltered from the economic turmoil in 2008, but The City needed to ensure they portrayed prudent fiscal management at all levels.
Over a year of solid work on a single project may see like a lot in my line of work … but pales in comparison to the dedication of the men and women in uniform.
Yours For Life: 125 Years of Courage, Compassion and Service from the Calgary Fire Department, a joint labour researched and written by Judy Monchuk and designed by yours truly, was released this summer to help celebrate the
Calgary Fire Department’s (CFD) 125th Anniversary. The 112 pages of stories, photographs, personal accounts and a handful of other articles and ephemera not only chronicle the major events in the CFD history, but also tell the story of the growth of the city of Calgary and the world events that impacted it’s citizens.
Historical integrity was essential to the success of the design — the book needed to look as authentic as the stories themselves. Hundreds of hours were required to get everything in place, but also to ensure the colours, textures, photographs and subtle elements were perfected for reproduction.
The initial challenge was to establish a structure, format and style that would ensure the proper flow and progression, but would also allow for opportunities to break the mould. The book spans six generations of fashions, fads and trends, so a stagnant presentation would not give the depth such a rich history deserves. A constant search was required to find authentic textures and design elements so each story, time and place was given it’s own personality.
The book can be purchased from the Firefighters Museum of Calgary for $35 with all proceeds going directly to the Firefighters Museum.
Two out of five ain’t so bad! The first batch of I.R. Brew Co.’s Crawling Bird Brown Ale didn’t taste, smell or sound(??) all that good, but boy she sure looked the part … and felt great going down. Custom screen printed labels, stock tags, coasters, posters and even promotional t-shirts were produced to help commemorate the release.
It may be cliché, but it’s certainly well put — I ♥ NY! It’s a city of a million things at once all the time … so filling 5 days without any pre-planning was an easy task. Check out a few select photos from our recent excursion to the Big Apple.
Welcome to
Design.ca — the new online presence of
I.R. DESIGN. Although it may look a lot like a blog, I assure you it is not. Think of it as an empty shell that will come to life from the content within (rather than the other way around). It’ll be easy, intuitive … and finally up-to-date.
The site will feature my current design projects, installations, photographs and other creations. I’ll throw in the occasional link to local interests … and will do my best to limit my rants and raves.
My
old website will still be alive and kicking (think of it as a chicken with it’s head cut off), but so much has changed in the last year or so, that I think it’s best to just let it die.
Make sure to come back often as I have a lot of catching up to do.
